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The Marriage unties the 'games as art' argument

Rod Humble, former Sony Online Entertainment employee currently working for EA, has just released an experimental artgame called The Marriage. There's no sound, no music, and the graphics could have been drawn in MS Paint in less than two minutes. But all of that doesn't matter. What really counts is you, the player, and how you interpret the relationships within the game.

It may sound pretentious (Rod is the first one to admit it), but it works extremely well. The best way to understand the game is to download it (Windows only) and start playing. You'll be confused at first, possibly even bored, and some may experience extreme fits of rage. But keep experimenting and try to pry into the game's mechanics. After you get a feel for it, go back to Rod's website and read his explanation. Everything will become clear and you'll understand why The Marriage grabbed your attention in the first place.

Like any good movie or book, half the fun is discussing it with your friends afterwards. After we played it, The Marriage spawned a number of interesting conversations about interactivity, games, art, and even one or two discussions about corn on the cob.

Tags: art, artgame, experimental, game, independent, indie

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